Adventures of Captain Bob & the Former Team Rocket
by invalid92
Summary: Sequel to "Almost Human"
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't quite dawn yet, but a pale ambient light began to bathe the forest. James was alone. Birds started coming out. No use going to bed now. Those things will keep me up all morning. Another sleepless night.

The laundry hadn't been done for weeks. Dishes in the sink. Clothes on the floor. Bob ate half an apple four days ago. The other half still sat on the floor in the corner of the kitchen. Every once in a while, Bob would leave and not return until the next day. Where he went James had no idea. But he always came back. James liked to think of it as his way of saying "This place is disgusting. Get your act together. Try leaving the house once in a while." In fact, Bob really was tiring of James's depression. But by now, their bond was too strong for Bob to leave him, and James was too pathetic.

The only productive thing James could do was play piano. His parents made him take many lessons as a child, and he was quite good. It wasn't until about a year ago that James took up playing again.

As a child, James loved to improvise and compose his own little songs. His parents did not approve. He was only allowed to practice the classics he was assigned. When his instructor caught him getting creative, he would be swiftly reprimanded.

Now he was an adult. He was free to play whatever he wanted. The music just flowed through him. It was as if he just thought a melody, and it came out. Once in a while though, he would get stuck on a particularly difficult passage, or he would have trouble organizing his thoughts.

This was one of those times. Now he was just getting frustrated. He had two ideas he needed to piece together but he just couldn't find the right way to do it.

Just as he was about to give up, Bob hopped up on his lap and played a few chords. That's it.

Bob had a good ear. He was a good counterpart for James. He always knew just how to get him out of a sticky situation.

James was glad to have Bob. He reminded him of Jessie in that way. He wondered where she was. Even though he was still angry, he mostly just wasted her to be safe. Before she left, James found Arbok eating his dinner. He crouched down beside and whispered to him. "You take good care of Jessie. If anything goes wrong you come right out and protect her for me okay? I'm counting on you to keep her safe."


	2. Chapter 2

Jessie was anything but safe. She was on a bad side of town. It was the kind of place where pokemon couldn't save you. If someone wanted you dead, they'd just shoot you in the head. End of story.

She pulled up the collar of a huge trench coat to cover her face as best she could. Wandering the streets alone at this time of night, it was best that the people around her didn't see that she was a woman. Not that it made her any weaker, but it certainly made her more likely to be attacked. Jessie was used to the kind of men who thought that because she was a woman, they could say and do whatever they wanted to her. That's partly why she grew up to be so tough.

Jessie pulled a crumpled napkin out of her pocket. The ink was smudged but she could still read it. She had been reciting the address in her head all day like a mantra. Every time she said it, she pictured a beautiful home with a picket fence where she'd find her mom safe and sound happy to see her. She knew that wasn't the case though. The truth was bound to be quite grim.

Jessie tried to remember the last time she saw her mother. Every time she tried to picture her face it faded away. It was all a blur. Sometime she wondered if she just imagined her. Maybe she really was an orphan, and she just pretended her mom was a kick-ass team rocket agent. As a child Jessie would frequently daydream about her mother's adventures in South America.

Santiago turned out to be a huge disappointment. Nothing was going the way she planned. At least, not until she found this address.

It had been a long journey and Jessie was tired. Her legs were so sore she was surprised she was able to keep walking. But she was too close now to stop. This was not an unfamiliar situation. She as cold and hungry with no place to eat or sleep, and no money. It usually wasn't this bad, because she at least had James and Meowth. This time she was alone.

The sun began to rise, and a she got closer to the water, the smell of the ocean got stronger. Slowly the scenery began to change. Not a stone's throw away from the slums, there sat beautiful mansions overlooking the ocean. The address was in a gated community, and in her state, she knew there was no way she was getting in.

Jessie walked along the wall until she found a spot just out of view of the security cameras where she could climb over.

She landed on the other side with a thud. With all kinds of branches and leaves stuck in her hair, Jessie climbed out of a bush disappointed to not have anyone to complain to. She just pulled the crap out of her hair and moved along. When she was alone, she couldn't care less about her looks. It had been a long time since she had applied any makeup or even washed her hair.

As she walked along the dimly lit sidewalks, Jessie attempted to make herself presentable. It was really hopeless but so was she. She decided to give up on trying to look grown-up or impressive. By this point, Jessie had worked to hard to get here to try and hide it. She was a mess.

19 Alba Road. Light could be seen from the kitchen window. Jessie filled with fear and anticipation. She tried to pull herself together and rand the door bell. The doorknob turned.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been over 9 months since Jessie left for South America to find her mother. James had nearly given up hope that she was still alive. All he could do was hope.

It was a hot day and there was not a cloud in the sky. James was outside working harder than he ever had in his life. His head was starting to hurt.

The back yard was filled with scrap metal and the work bench was covered in loose wires. A strange device sat in the middle. James and Captain Bob had been writing music together and managed to become quite popular. Bob was frustrated because the only way he could really get any of his ideas out was with James's piano, and being a Bidoof, it was not really easy to do. There were no instruments for pokemon.

James took a step back and examined the contraption. Similar instruments lay on the ground. None of them produced quite the right sound. This had to be the one. Lucky number 23.

Captain Bob was on the porch perfecting an attack he learned in his previous life at sea. Thunderbolt.

"Bob!" James called to his pokemon. "Come try this one out!"

"Doof." Bob stopped what he was doing and lumbered over.

James picked up Bob and placed him on a small platform surrounded by all kinds of tubes and wires. It almost looked like an Octillery.

The Bidoof displayed amazing control and precision as he focused beams of electricity through each channel, slowly ascending the chromatic scale. It sounded like a synthesizer, only it was more efficient. With the pokemon providing the electric current, the instrument only required enough electricity to make each individual note sound.

It looked like a Bidoof standing on an Octillery. James thought about calling his new invention the Bitillery. Silly as it was, he at least had a name for it.

Everything sounded good to him, but James grabbed a tuner just to check one last time. Everything checked out. In theory, the Bitillery was able to play six octaves. Now it was up to Captain Bob to practice and become skilled enough to do so.

"Doof doof doof doof." Captain Bob did a little victory dance. They finally had it right. James laughed and joined in.

James put Captain Bob on his shoulder and the two retreated out of the hot sun.

For the past 8 months, James had spent his time writing music, working on the Bitillery, and even landing a few public performances. He had become well-known and liked at a local open mic night where he played every week. Some people came just to hear his newest songs. After a few weeks of this, he brought in so much business for the small dive bar that the owner gave him free food and drinks every time he came in.

The first time James visited the bar, it was a Friday night, the first time in days he had left the house. He was so depressed after Jessie left, and all he wanted to do was drink and forget. The memory of exactly what happened was a little fuzzy, but James recalled making a pass at a cute boy who turned out to be not only straight, but a serious homophobic.

After the first punch was landed, James fell back, wiped the blood from his mouth and laughed. It was nice to know he could still feel something. He got back up and started swinging. Just as James was about to land a game-winning hit, a huge Machamp grabbed him like a rag doll and tossed him out the door.

It wasn't until about noon the next day that James remembered the little detail that not only was he winning the fight, but he nearly killed the guy. If Machamp hadn't picked him up, he would have killed someone...

That was a big wakeup call. The next week James was walking past that same bar when he heard music. It was open mic night. He stood at the door and listened. It was horrible. He chuckled to himself. No wonder that place was getting no business. No talent.

Over the next few days James went back and forth in his head deciding if he should go play. When he eventually did, it was the best decision he ever made. He more than made up for his little fiasco on Friday.

One night, after a good performance, he was approached by a man named Rodolfo who was a talent scout for an underground record label. He wanted to hear more of his stuff.

"I uh' I-" James stammered. "I would love to! When should I come by?"

Rodolfo handed James a card "Come to this address at 3 on Monday. Now I can't guarantee my boss will sign you, but you are the best I've heard so far. I'll let him know you're coming."


	4. Chapter 4

Throughout the process of writing and recording, it came to James's attention that there was no way to offically credit Captain Bob for his work. He thought about this as he and Bob finished a song that really was a collaberative effort. Bob used to help him out with the writing process from time to time, and he certainly inspired him, but with his Bitilerry, Bob was his full fledged partner.

James expressed his worries with his boss.

"Wait a minute, are you saying that your Bidoof actually WRITES music?" He laughed heartily. "I'd have to believe it to see it! And what's this new instrument you've been talking about? Do you have a prototype?"

"Prototype...?" James was confused. "Well I'm not trying to make money off of it, I just wanted Captain Bob to be able to play as freely as I do..."

"You need to get a patient on that thing right away. If what you say is true, this could turn out to be a revolutionary new invention!"

James imagined himself and Captain Bob literally swimming in cash and his long dormant greed started to creep in again.

Larry was familiar with Captain Bob. He came to the studio with James frequently. He just thought that the Bidoof was a quirky pet or something. He was still yet to witness how creative and smart the little guy actually was.

The next day when he brought Captain Bob along with the Bitillery, everyone in the studio was speechless. "I've never seen anything like it!" Rodolfo was entranced by it. Captain Bob had become much more skilled and was able to play almost as well as James played piano. "This is amazing! Do you think other pokemon could play as well?"

"Well I suppose. As long as they could use thunderbolt." Rodolfo and Larry looked like they were even more excited about it than James was.

"This could revolutionize the way we communicate with pokemon!" Larry was in awe.

"The thing that troubles me is that Captain Bob is a great musician in his own right, and I don't want to take credit for his ideas."

"This certainly is a problem we've never had before. Who's ever heard of pokemon owning their own intellectual property?" Larry was a good man. He wanted nothing more than to help James and Captain Bob make itin the industry. Luckily for them, he knew just the way to do it.


	5. Chapter 5

Jessie woke up in an empty hotel room. Had all of this just been a dream? Did she really find her long lost mother? The whole thing seemed more like a nightmare.

She just wanted to forget about what happened at her mother's house andfinish up the reason Team Rocket sent her there in the first place. To open up a supply line.

Jessie decided that after this mission, she would cut all ties with Team Rocket for good. Giovanni was a big part of why she stayed with Team Rocket, but the last thread holding her to them was the slight hope that they may lead her to her mother. Working for Team Rocket made her feel closer to her mother. Now, both Team Rocket and her mother were things she just needed to cut out of her life.

James was right. He knew this would happen. She just hoped he would forgive her for being so foolish.

She was hopeful about making amends with James. Meowth, she was not so sure about. Meowth had taken pity on them and lied to the new boss for them. He told him that James was dead, and that Jessie was still loyal to Team Rocket, and he managed to persuade him to give Jessie one mission to prove her worth.

It seemed like fate when she was assigned to South America. This was her one and only chance to find her mother and she took it. Not to mention she needed the money. Trafficing drugs was no difficult task for Jessie. Negotiating with thugs came naturally to her. Thanks to Jessie, Team Rocket was now affiliated with the organized crime in Antofagasta.

Even with her success (For once) Jessie was still not sure how to go about cutting ties with Team Rocket without getting killed in the process.

Jessie tried to clear her mind. She had been wracking her brain for ideas since she left her mothers house. As she aimlessly browsed Kanto's news page, something caught her eye that made her actually gasp out loud.

The article was titled "Local underground band makes big changes in music industry."

_Local experimental underground group "James and Captain Bob" has become the talk of the town after a landmark case ruling pokemon capable of owning intellectual property, namely copyrighted music. Many politicians believe that this ruling has "opened up a can of worms" and lead Kanto's residents to rethink their perspectives on pokemon everywhere. The two are also responsible for a groundbreaking new invention called the Bitillery. According to the company, it's a stand-alone instrument powered by pokemon with the attack "thunderbolt" KWN is the only network to offically interview the duo._

Below was a video. Jessie clickced and anxiously waited for it to buffer.

_"So when did Captain Bob first express interest in music?"_

_"Well, I haven't known Captain Bob his whole life, but I first noticed it when we'd be listening to music around the house, and he would try to sing along with it. Also, he would help me out whenever I had trouble finishing or connecting some ideas. He's jus hop right up on my lap and start playing." James looked so different. He had all new clothes and he looked like he was doing very well. This comforted Jessie. But it also made her a little jealouse._

_"He can play piano?"_

_"Well, not really. That's why we developed the Bitillery."_

_"Are Bidoof the only pokemon who can play it?"_

_"Well I don't really know. Captain Bob is the only one so far, but we're working on developing it for other pokemon with drastically different anatomies. The model we have can theoretically be played by any four legged pokemon who can learn thunderbolt. But it is such a difficult instrument to play, and it requires so much work to learn, we have not yet come accross another pokemon who can play."_

_"Do you consider this pokemon your equal?"_

_James looked offended "Of couse I do. He's just as smart and talented as any human musician. But he's not such a suprise to me as he is to other people. Every pokemon I've even known has been intelligent and compassionate. They're not animals. It's no suprise to me that a pokemon could be a successful musician, it's just unfortunate that until now they've really had no way to communicate their ideas."_

_"There are a lot of people out there who think that your bidoof is a gimmick, and say that you're just trying to scam people. They say your bidoof is nothing more than a trained pet. How would you respond to those people?"_

_James laughed. "Well I don't know what more we can do to prove it. If an actual recording of music written by a pokemon, and actual live performances by said pokemon, as well as a ruling by the court aren't enough to convince them than I've got nothing left. The only reason I'm doing this interview instead of Bob is because I'm the only one who can speak english. This whole case isn't about me, it's about Bob. I'm simply a means of communication for him."_

_"Well thank you for your time. This is Mike Cho with KWN, back to you Joe."_

Jessie was shocked. She couldn't believe that she had missed so much. Then it occured to her. All of this publicity could be a bad thing.

If Team Rocket find out James is alive...

She was on the next plane to Kanto.


	6. Chapter 6

James walked down the sidewalk on a busy street. It was a beautiful day and James was on his way to his friend's house. He still wasn't used to being famous. It didn't really occur that he couldn't go anyhwhere without being stopped. He didn't mind it yet though. He was still in the honeymoon phase with his fame. It felt good.

He stood at a crosswalk waiting for the light to turn. "Hi." A random stranger shook his hand. "I'm Kim." Kim was cute. She looked up at him with huge green eyes. She was clearly starstruck.

James laughed. "Hi I'm James."

Kim giggled "I know who you are silly! Um, could I get you to sign my notebook. I wish I had something else on me! I had no idea I'd run into you! I'm a huge fan!"

"Of course." As james signed the girl's notebook he thought about giving her his number too. Just then his phone rang.

He didn't recognize the number. "Excuse me I have to take this." James stayed on the street corner as the crowd crossed. "Hello?"

"James." He recognized the voice immediately. It was Jessie. She sounded upset. "James it's me, I'm back in town."

"WHAT? Where are you?"

"I, I'm in Viridian City."

"Okay so am I, but where are you exactly?" James laughed

"I'm at the old warehouse."

"I'm coming over."

"You actually want to see me?" Jessie let out a breath she had clearly been holding

"Of couse I do! Jessie I've been dying to see you. I'm so glad you're okay. I'll be there in ten minutes!"

Ten minutes later James arrived at the warehouse. He went in the back door they usually used. As soon as he passed the door frame, he recieved a large blow to the head.

He was out cold.


End file.
